Spring construction



a :v NEWMAN ET AL.

SPRING CONSTRUCTION Dec. 22, 1931.

1928 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 12,

1931- G. l. NEWMAN ET AL 3 5 SPRING CONST RUCTION Filed March 12, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ins/Er? UTE eofyellv'ewman and Lawrence .ZVu/T PatentedDec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I "L'GEORGE I. NEWMAN ANDLAWRENCE A. NEW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SPRINGCORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SPRING.CONSTRUCTION Application filed March 12, 1928. Serial No. 260,927.

This invention relates to mattress and upholstery springs, moreparticularly of the type in which the spring units are of a generaloblate spheroidal form. It has been iproposed to construct spring unitsof this shape from a series of elliptical wires or clock spring steelsprings symmetrically arranged about a central axis and provided with arestraining ring secured to the peripheral porla tions of such wires orstrips so that down ward pressure on such units cannot extend suchperipheral portions laterally. This construction gives the unitresilience over substantially its whole area. l/Vhen, however, latheVarious units are arranged in rows to form a complete mattress there arespaces between the units where there is no support for the ticking andfiller. Usually the units are arranged at each corner of a square so2othat even if the units contactat their peripheries, there is a spaceat the center of the square.

The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is to providesupport for the ticking and filler at the points furthest fromthecenters of the springunits. v

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved meansfor connecting together thespring units to each other.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and the followingspecification.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described. On the drawings: Figure 1 is a planView of a mattress with parts cut away, constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line I I-II of Figure 1. i

Figure 3 is a horizontal central section through one of the springunits.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Figure 3. I

Figure 5 is a perspective view ofthe connector. between the ellipticalspring strips and the peripheral wire.

Figure 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a plan View illustrating a modified method'of connecting thespring units.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a modified form of peripheralretaining ring for Figures 12 and'13 are perspective views ofalternative forms of connectors for clamping the elliptlcal springstrips to a peripheral're taming strip.

As shown on the drawings:

The mattress comprises layers of ticking 1 and-filler 2 with series ofrows of spring units 3 arranged between the layers of ticking andfiller.

The spring units are each formed of four strips of clock spring steel 4bent into circular form so that their ends overlap. The overlapping endsof all the four strips are riveted together at 5 as are also thediametrically opposite portions of the strips where they' cross eachother. These clock spring circles are arranged at about 45 from eachother so that they are symmetrically arranged with respect to theVertical axis of the unit passing through the upper and lower rivets.

The flattened or oblate spheroidal form is produced by spreading thespring circles laterally by means of a peripherally arranged wire ring 6which is clamped to the strips 4 by connectors 7 (Figure 5). Theseconnectors are stamped out of sheet metal and consist of a centrallylocated loop 8 through which the wire ring 6 passes, laterally ex-.

tending wings 9 adapted 'to be bent around the margins of the adjacentspring strip 4,

and upwardly and downwardly extending -wings 10. The latter are curvedinwardly somewhat and are provided for the purpose of preventing thespring strips 4 being bent beyond'their elastic limit at their point ofgreatest flexure, viz, where they contact with the peripheral wire 6.

The spring units are preferably arranged in equally spaced rows parallelboth to the sides and also the ends of the mattress, as shown inFigure 1. Along the center line of each row, either longitudinally ortransversely, the ticking and filler are reasonably well supported atall points. Along the diagonals at 45 to the edges of the mattress,there are, of necessity, spaces of considerable area where there is noadequate support for the ticking and filler.

For the purpose of transmitting pressure on the ticking and filler oversuch areas to the spring units, spring strips 11 are provided extendingdiagonally across the spring units in both directions and connected tothe spring units by the rivets 5. These spring strips 11 extend over theunits down around the outside unit and then under the units and the endsoverlapped and riveted together. A wire 7 21 extends around the entirespring structure, this wire being connected to the peripheral portionsof the outside spring units and to the strips 11 at the four corners ofthe mattress. With this construction, the spring strips serve a doublepurpose, first transmitting pressure on the ticking and filler tothesprings, and second, maintaining the proper spaced relation between thevarious spring units;

In the form'of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the diagonalmembers consist of single lengths of clock spring steel. This is notessential as short lengths of steel strip 12 connected by helicalsprings 13 may be used, as shown for example in Figure 7.

lVhile in Figures 1 to A I have shown spring units with a wire retainingring, a retaining ring of strip steel may be used as shown in Figures 8to 13 inclusive. Using strip steel, the connection between the ring andthe elliptical strips may be accomplished by forming a loop 14 on theinner face of the ring 15 of strip steel as shown in Figures 8 and 9 orpreferably on the outer face, as shown at 16 on Figures .10 and 11. Thislatter construction is preferred since the ring 17 serves the samepurpose as the wings 10 of the connector of Figure 5 viz; prevents thespring strips 4 being bent beyond their elastic limit at their point ofgreatest flexure.

Alternatively connectors such as those shown in Figures 12 and 13 may beemployed. The first of these has inwardly extending wings 18 adapted tobe folded over the steel strip ring while the wings 19 are bent aroundthe adjacent elliptical steel strip. In the second form of connector, asingle inwardly extending wing 20 is provided instead of two such parts,otherwise the construction and operation is the same.

We are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A rectangular mattress comprising a plurality of oblate spheroidalspring units restrained at their periphery against lateral deflection, acontinuous hoop connecting a plurality of such units into a row, aplurality of rows arranged in parallelism and another plurality of rowsarranged in parallelism but at right angles to said first plurality ofrows, the hoops of the several rows extending in one direction lyingwithin the hoops of the several rows extending transversely thereof,said hoops being connected together at the points of junction away fromthe centers of adjacent springunits, and av loop about the rows soassembled attached to the peripheral spring units between the top andthe bottom thereof to restrain spread.

ing, the portion of the hoops bridgingthe space between. adjacent springunits servingto support the mattress between the several spring units.

2. A rectangular mattress having, in combination, a plurality ofspaced'spring units, each of said units formed of a plurality of clockspring bands positioned at an angle to one. another, a flanged membersecured to each of the bands and provided with an aperture, the flangesforming stops to limit bending of the bands at points adjacent saidmembers, a hoop in each spring unit passing through the apertures of themembers there- 1n, and resilient diagonally arranged spring metalmembers secured to the topsand bot-.

toms of the spring'units for supporting the mattress in the spacebetween the various units. 1

3. A rectangular mattress having,"in combination, a plurality of spacedspring units, each of said units formed of a plurality of clock springbands positioned at an angle to one another, a flanged member secured toeach of the bands and provided with an aperture, the flanges formingstops to limit bending of the bands at points adjacent said members, ahoop in each spring unit passing through the apertures of the memberstherein, and resilient diagonally arranged spring metal members securedto the tops of the spring units for supportingthe mattress in the spacesbetween the various units and for normally holding said units in spacedrela tionship.

4. A rectangular mattress having, in combination, a plurality of spacedspring units, each of said units formed of a plurality of clock springbands positioned at an angle to one another, a flanged member secured toeach of the bands and provided with an aper ture, the flanges formingstops to limit bending of the bands at points adjacent said members, ahoop in each spring unit passing through the apertures of the memberstherein, a peripheral member surrounding said units and secured directlyto the outermost of said units, and diagonally arranged resilientmembers secured to the tops and bottoms of said spring units forsupporting the mattress in the space between the various units. Intestimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names.

LAWRENCE A. NEW.

GEORGE I. NEWMAN.

